Who Stole Halloween? Read Online Free PDF Page B

“I’ve got a seven o’clock meeting. We’re planning our patrols for Halloween night.”
    â€œBut you haven’t eaten breakfast,” I protested.
    â€œThere’ll be doughnuts at the meeting.”
    â€œYou won’t let
me
eat doughnuts for breakfast,” I pointed out. “You say they’re bad for me.”
    â€œI’m right, too,” she said, “as usual.” She put her mug in the dishwasher, then ducked into thedownstairs bathroom. When she came out, her police uniform was buttoned up and her lips were pink.
    â€œGo get ’em, Mom,” I said.
    â€œI will, honey.” She started down the hallway to the garage, then paused. “What’s Kyle-over-on-Groundhog’s last name?” she asked.
    â€œRichmond,” I told her.
    Mom nodded. “I’ll talk to Fred Krichels today, take a look at his report. It seems likely the catnapping incidents are related, don’t you think? And maybe you and Yasmeen could get Mr. Stone to tell you that ghost story. Who knows? It might help us solve the case.”
    I was surprised, and kind of flattered, that Mom had asked for our help. “Sure,” I said. “So you don’t mind if Yasmeen and I try to find Kyle’s cat?”
    Mom smiled. “I don’t mind,” she said. “But this time, Alex,
please
be more careful. No death-defying midnight runs through the neighborhood. Deal?”
    â€œCross my heart,” I said.

Chapter Ten

    Dad came down about fifteen minutes later. I was clean and dressed and full of cereal. I was reading the sports section. Dad was as surprised as Mom, but he didn’t jump. Instead, he asked about my spelling test.
    â€œOh,
no
!” I said. “I was going to study last night, but then I went to the Popps. . . . Do we have time to go over the words?”
    â€œHand me the list,” Dad said.
    I pulled it out of my backpack. Dad held it close to his face, then he stretched out his arms and held it far away. He opened his eyes wide. He squinted.
    â€œCan’t you read it?” I asked.
    â€œOf course I can read it,” he said. “First word:
glamorous
.”
    â€œGlamorous?”
I shook my head. “That’s not one of our words.”
    â€œSure it is,” said Dad. “I mean”—he moved the paper away again—“I think it is.”
    I took the list back. “Dad, the word is
generous
.”
    Dad shrugged. “
Glamorous, generous
—the rule is the same:
O
before
U
except after moo.”
    â€œHa-ha, Dad.” I slid the list into my backpack. Yasmeen could quiz me on the way to school.
    Dad frowned and rubbed his eyes. “Maybe I should make that phone call after all,” he said.
    â€œTo the eye doctor you mean?”
    â€œOh, no.” Dad shook his head. “I don’t care what your mom says, it’s not serious enough for an M.D. But Eric Blanco’s got that new store downtown, I think I told you? It’s one of those health-organic-type stores. Five-dollar zucchinis, tea bags from Tibet, vitamin Q. . . .”
    â€œIn the Harvey house,” I said. “Mom and I were just talking about that place. But I don’tunderstand. What do five-dollar zucchinis have to do with your eyes?”
    â€œOh, it’s probably a lot of hooey,” Dad said. “But Eric claims he’s got some miracle pills—vitamin A it must be. He says if I take them, my eyesight will be as good as Luau’s.”
    I couldn’t believe my dad. Miracle pills? Why didn’t he just get glasses like all the other old people?
    â€œYou know Eric sells pumpkins, too,” Dad said. “Organic, homegrown, all that stuff. What do you say we go over there before dinner? I’ve got that PTA meeting, but after that we could go get the raw materials for our jack-o’-lantern.”
    â€œCan Yasmeen come?” I asked.
    â€œSure,”